Monthly Archives: January 2014

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GLENDORA — An elderly Glendora man struck by a car while riding his bike Monday has died from his injuries, officials confirmed Friday.
Francisco Alvarez, 78, died Wednesday afternoon at a hospital following Monday’s collision at Foothill Boulevard and Elwood Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Joe Bale said. He was initially described by police as 79 years old.
Alvarez was riding his bicycle about 2:30 p.m. when he was struck and fatally injured by a sedan being driven by an 86-year-old Glendora man, Glendora police officials said.
Alvarez was heading west on Foothill Boulevard and the sedan was heading east just prior to the impact, Glendora police Lt. Matt Williams said. The car then made a left turn when it collided with the bicyclist.
Police officers found the Alvarez had no pule and was not breathing when they arrived on scene, but managed to resuscitate the man before he was rushed to a hospital, where he clung to life for two days, officials said.
The cause of the collision remained under investigation, authorities said, however the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, and nothing criminal was initially suspected.

BASSETT — Two men beat a hydroponics store employee with a baseball bat and stabbed him repeatedly during an attack along Valley Boulevard Friday afternoon.
The incident, which deputies were investigating as an attempted murder, was first reported about 5:15 p.m. at a hydroponic supply store along Valley Boulevard, just west of Seventh Avenue, in the unincorporated county area of Bassett, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
Paramedics were first summoned to the scene by reports of an injured man bleeding from the head, Sgt. Mark Stonich of the sheriff’s Industry Station said. The rescuers contacted police after realizing the man was the victim of an assault.
“These two (attackers) used a baseball bat, hands and feet and possibly a knife,” Stonich said. “He had several puncture wounds in his back.”
The employee first received a phone call just before 5 p.m. from a man asking whether the store was open, and whether is carried a particular type of light bulb, Stonich said. The employee responded that the store did carry the bulb in question.
About 15 minutes later, the employee noticed two men standing in front of the store, pacing and carrying a bag, the sergeant said.
They entered the store, pulled a baseball bat from the bag and ordered the employee to exit the store, Stonich said. They then attacked the man.
Paramedics took the injured employee to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with stable vital signs, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Larry Duran said. He was expected to survive.
The motive in the attack was not clear, Stonich said. There were no indications anything had been stolen.
The badly injured man managed to give deputies a description of his attackers before being rushed to the a hospital for treatment, the sergeant said. “He recognized one of their voices as person who had called on the phone.”
One of the assailants was a white man of about 6 feet tall, wearing a blue shirt and gray pants, Stonich said. The other was an Asian man of about 5 feet 6 inches tall and wearing all black clothing.
Not eyewitnesses to the attack had been found Friday afternoon, however witnesses did confirm seeing men matching the descriptions given by the victim and carrying a baseball bat in the area around the time of the incident.
The motive in the crime was not immediately clear, Stonich said. “We don’t know if a robbery occurred at this time.”
The investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Industry Station at 626-330-3322.

PICO RIVERA — Two men punched a woman in the face to steal her cell phone early Thursday, officials said.
The violent robbery took place just before 2:20 a.m. at Rosemead and Whittier boulevards, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Meyer said.
A 41-year-old Pico Rivera woman was walking north along Rosemead Boulevard when she was approached from an unknown direction by two men, the lieutenant said.
“One suspect punched her in the face and she fell to the ground,” Meyer said. The robbers proceeded to pull the woman’s cell phone from her purse before running off.
The woman had redness to her face but declined to be taken to a hospital, Meyer added.
The robbers were Latino men in their early-20s, of average build, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall, Meyer said. One wore a black baseball cap.

MONROVIA — A teenager used his skateboard to fight off a would-be robber armed with a knife late Thursday, officials said.
The encounter took place just after 9:10 p.m. in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the 100 block of West Colorado Boulevard, Monrovia police Sgt. Glen Coleman said.
The failed robber approached the teen, pulled a knife and demanded the teen’s skateboard, Coleman said.
But rather than turn over the skateboard, the teen struck the knife-wielding man with it and ran away, the sergeant said.
Police described the would-be robber as a man in his 30s, of dark complexion, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing a heavy gray and black striped jacket and checkered shorts. He had lip piercings on both sides of his mouth.
Police searched the area, but the man remained at-large late Thursday.

SOUTH PASADENA — Police jailed a Pasadena man Wednesday on suspicion of stealing mail from at least a dozen South Pasadena residents over the past week, officials said.
Efrain DeSoto Jr., 24, was booked on suspicion of mail theft, receiving stolen property, possession of methamphetamine and driving on a suspended license after he was pulled over by South Pasadena police about 3:55 p.m. at Hill Drive and Collis Avenue, Detective Richard Lee said in a written statement.
Officers noticed DeSoto and his 1994 Chevrolet Trailblazer matched the description given in connection with the theft of mail from several homes in the 1900 block of Alpha Avenue a week ago, Lee said. Police stopped him for a traffic violation and discovered he was driving on a suspended license.
In the center console of DeSoto’s SUV, police found methamphetamine, a glass smoking pipe and mail belonging to other people, the detective said.
“Additional mail — checks — and a bolt-cutter were found in the rear cargo area wrapped inside a shirt,” Lee said.
The mail was addressed to alleged victims throughout the San Gabriel Valley, police said.
Twelve apparent victims had been identified Thursday, Cpl. Matthew Ronnie said.
DeSoto admitted to police that he had just stolen mail before he was pulled over, Lee said. He also admitted stealing the mail last week.
According to county booking records, DeSoto was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

PHOTO of Efrain DeSoto Jr., 24, of Pasadena courtesy of the South Pasadena Police Department.

WEST COVINA — Two robbers fled with a little more than $200 after robbing a Carrows restaurant late Thursday, officials said.
The two men entered the restaurant, 101 S. Azusa Avenue, just before 8 p.m., West Covina police Lt. Pat Cirrito said.
One of them motioned as if he had a gun in his pocket as the robbers demanded cash, however no weapon was seen, he said.
They were last seen running west from the restaurant, the lieutenant added.
Both robbers were Latino men in their 30s or 40s, Cirrito said. One had a shaved head and wore a gray sweat shirt and a black cap. The other had short hair and wore a black sweat shirt and jeans.

WHITTIER — A man brandished a handgun while stealing more than $200 worth of alcohol from a Whittier Rite Aid store Wednesday, police said.
The crime took place about 9:25 a.m. at the store on Comstock Avenue at Hadley Street, Whittier police Sgt. Terry McAllister said.
One man entered the store and began helping himself to bottles of booze, McAllister said. When confronted by an employee, he the robber displayed a handgun tucked into his waistband and told the employee to “get back.”
The robber fled to a late-model white Nissan SUV, which was parked out front with a driver waiting at the wheel, McAllister said.
The gunman was described as a Latino ma in his early-30s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a mustache, police said. He had a light complexion and glasses.
The driver was a also a Latino man in his early-30s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, 170 pounds, with a bald head. He wore sunglasses. Both men were described as appearing to be gang members.
A woman was also seen with the men, but walked away from the scene following the robbery, McAllister said. She was a Latina woman in her late-20s or early-30s of about 5 feet tall, 140 pounds and wearing glasses.
The stolen alcohol was valued at $226.

PASADENA — A bomb squad investigated after workers found what was ultimately determined to be an inert practice grenade inside a box of donated goods at a Pasadena Goodwill distribution center Thursday, police said.
Police were first notified of the suspicious find about 5 p.m. at the business at Fair Oaks Avenue and Del Mar Boulevard, Pasadena police Lt. John Dewar said.
“They were opening up a shipment of boxes,” the lieutenant said. “They found a Grenade in one of them. It appeared to be a real grenade with a pin in it.”
Police evacuated the building and summoned a bomb squad to the scene, Dewar said. Bomb squad members determined the device was a harmless practice grenade, Dewar said.

PASADENA — A bear attracted attention by taking a stroll through a Pasadena neighborhood Thursday afternoon before scampering back into the woods, authorities said.
Sightings of the “small-to-medium” bear were first reported about 3:30 p.m. along Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, north of New York Drive, Pasadena police Lt. John Dewar said.
Police, Pasadena Human Society & SPCA and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials responded to the scene.
After vanishing then popping up again about a block away, the bear ended it’s visit to Pasadena about 5:30 p.m.
“The bear went up into the brush, then disappeared into the forest by itself,” Dewar said.

WEST COVINA – A motorcycle deputy suffered injuries Thursday in a crash that snarled the afternoon commute through the San Gabriel Valley, officials said.
The crash took place just after 3 p.m. on the eastbound 10 Freeway, just east of Puente Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Boese said.
The deputy was on his way home from work at the Los Angeles County sheriff’s West Hollywood Station and riding in the No. 2 lane just prior to the crash, California Highway Patrol Officer Jaime Rosas said. A Ford Expedition SUV being driven by a West Covina woman in her 30s was eastbound in the No. 1 lane.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation by the CHP, however the SUV began to merge toward the right when the two vehicles collided, according to Boese and Rosas.
“That caused the deputy to fall off his motorcycle and land in traffic lanes,” Boese said.
The dazed deputy radioed in the crash, Rosas said, prompting a massive response from rescuers fearing the worst.
A Metro Freeway Service Patrol crew happened to be just behind the crash and helped the injured deputy reach the side of the road, Boese said.
Paramedics took the deputy to hospital for examination and treatment, Rosas said.
The woman at the wheel of the SUV was not injured, officials added. She remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
The deputy’s motorcycle continued travelling without a rider for about 100 feet before crashing into a chain-link fence along the right shoulder,
Officials briefly shut down the three right lanes of the eastbound 10 Freeway following the crash, causing traffic to back up past the 605 Freeway.

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